Certifications for Margaret Owens Doula, Educator, Lactation

Client Testimonials for Margaret Owens Doula, Educator, Lactation

Robin Manthie

My husband and I are so thankful to have had Margaret by our side for the birth of our daughter. We enjoyed the pre-meetings to ensure we had a plan and were all on the same page. Knowing we had support from Margaret gave us great peace of mind heading into the birth… and I needed it as I approached two weeks overdue. When it came to the birth we benefited from Margaret's experience. She was right at home at Mother Baby and worked seamlessly with the nurses and our midwife. She offered constant massage in just the right places during my tough contractions and helped me find comfortable positions both when I was up and moving and after I got an epidural. Margaret helped us decide what to ask the medical staff and participated in our decision making by asking questions and offering general information but never providing an answer which allowed us to make decisions as a couple. The greatest complement I can give Margaret is that immediately after a long labor I felt happy about my birth story and ready to do it again. We'll use Margaret in the future and recommend you do as well!

- Robin & Steve

Posted 5/6/2017

Tiffany Lauria

BEST DOULA EVER! I can't imagine going through the birth experience without her. She was so compassionate and caring and was really helpful in offering ways to deal with the pain. She also has a huge amount of knowledge which was helpful before, during and after the birth when we had to make decisions. She is a great mix of someone that recommends both natural and realistic suggestions. I ended up having an unmedicated birth, but if I would've done an epidural I don't feel like she would've judged me and that decision. Not only did I find her helpful and supportive, but she was amazing for my husband. She was there to support him and give him suggestions for how to help me deal with the pain. I highly recommend Margaret to anyone and everyone, she's truly a gem!

Posted 4/21/2017

Lynn Beck

My husband and I knew Margaret was going to be our doula after our first meeting. Her attention to detail and matter-of-fact approach helped us prepare by setting realistic expectations and discuss areas of concern. She made me feel like her first priority during every interaction. Margaret’s knowledge took the information we learned at childbirth, comfort measures, and breastfeeding classes one step farther and applied it to what we could expect in the hospital setting. She had also introduced us to resources we would have not otherwise known about such as prenatal chiropractic care. I was also able to take the information (feedback on birth preferences) we learned from Margaret and ask smarter questions to my doctor. Margaret’s warmth and sense of calm made it feel like I was calling my own mom to let her know I was going into labor. It felt reassuring! She was very helpful and knowledgeable about the stages of labor. This was especially helpful when making the transition from laboring at home and deciding when to go to the hospital. Margaret conducted herself in a very professional manner at the hospital by introducing herself to the hospital staff as they took care of me. This helped create a positive relationship with everyone involved on my birth team. Margaret and the nurse worked together to determine what labor position to try next when labor appeared to have slowed down. She used words of encouragement and terms from my yoga classes which helped me keep my focus and be centered instead of being fearful. Having a doula, like Margaret, was invaluable for my husband. He was able to participate in providing comfort for me while feeling included in the birth process. This also gave him confidence that we were doing everything we could at that moment instead of trying to remember what he learned at our birthing class 3 months earlier!

I highly recommend Margaret as a doula. She helped me achieve the positive birth experience I desired!

Posted 1/11/2016

Rachael Sarto

From our first meeting, through planning and preparation, throughout our challenging yet healthy and loving birth, and even in the months after, Margaret has been a stable, caring, warm and knowledgable presence. During preparation, her advice was sound and comforting. She helped us create a beautiful cast of my pregnant belly. During birth, she was reassuring, steady, consistent, and caring. When I needed a firm and loving coach, she was that. When my husband needed information and support, she was a great ally for him too. She completely had our back. For a couple panicky new parent phone calls, she gave just enough advice and reassurance to get us back on track and feeling confident. She has been a wonderful part of our first child's birth, and we recommend her highly.

Posted 12/21/2015

Megan Scott

Margaret is amazing. I am so glad she attended my birth as well as served as a valuable resource before and after my birth. She was the calm reassuring voice that allowed me to have the natural birth I desired.

Posted 11/23/2015

Deborah Getsug

What a wonderful experience! Margaret was supportive in so many ways- from answering all of my prenatal questions, to coaching me gently through labor, to providing us with postpartum care. I felt so safe and cared for during my labor and delivery. She was a calm presence, offering motivational words and humor throughout the experience. This was such a great match. I'm so grateful to call her a friend!

Posted 10/28/2015

Anna Clearman Alvarez

When we first met Margaret, we knew she would be our doula. We were not only impressed with her impeccable training, extensive experience and wealth of knowledge, but her straight forward personality and genuine soul made me immediately trust her. Since I am an extremely athletic person and have high expectations for myself, I was looking for a doula that would not only fit with my personality, but give me the ‘tough love’ that I give myself when in demanding athletic situations, while creating that loving and safe environment you require while giving birth. Being on the other side of my first birth now, I would have to say that we lucked out with Margaret. Her presence was a pillar of strength which made me feel stronger, and gave me endurance to make it through a 26 hour labor with no pain medications or interventions. Margaret was there every step of the way, beside me, supporting me and my husband. Her voice of encouragement and advice, suggesting positions and techniques that made labor progress while staying bearable were extremely meaningful to me. At one point I remember just hearing a voice, telling me how strong I was, how fantastic I was doing, and pushing me forward. It was a consistent, steady voice that I held on to and followed; it was Margaret’s voice! Shortly after, our beautiful baby boy was born. The peaceful water birth I had dreamt bringing my baby into the world through, was a success. I also remember looking up and seeing Margaret’s face after I pulled my baby out of the water and into my arms for the first time, and realizing that she had never doubted me, though I had doubted myself. We were all physically exhausted and emotionally spent, but in that look we shared the most powerful elation and excitement. We knew she had guided us through perhaps some of the most challenging hours of our lives and it was all worth it. We could not have done it without Margaret!

Posted 7/1/2015

Senia Jutila

From the moment we met Margaret during an initial interview, my husband and I knew she was the perfect Doula for us! We so appreciated her wide knowledge base, many years of experience, compassion, and personability. Margaret is highly skilled yet very down to earth. We never felt "judged" by her and felt she respected all of our thoughts, opinions, and wishes. She provided very comprehensive care during the prenatal stage, including meeting with us, answering many questions, and sharing valuable resources with us. While we didn't end up being able to have her with us during early labor at home, she was extremely timely in arriving to the birth center once the time came. Throughout my labor, Margaret was extremely attentive and helpful. She seamlessly integrated herself into our birth experience while still allowing my husband to be the primary "coach," which was what we desired. Margaret's presence was even more prominent than the attending midwife's, which is a testatment to her skill and the birth center's trust in her work. During the post-partum stage, Margaret was also very attentive and helpful. She promptly responded to questions via text and phone and made herself available for house visits, even very short notice. It was very reassuring to have her gentle presence at home and her expertise to help make sure things were going smoothly with our little guy. After we experienced persistent trouble with breastfeeding, she referred us to a specialist for further support, which was an appropriate and much-needed referral.

We were beyond satisfied with our experience working with Margaret and would highly recommed her to all! She is an extremely gifted Doula and an absolute pleasure to work with. We would use her again for our next birth in a heartbeat, and have already passe her name along to others. We miss working with her, so we appreciate her willingness to keep in touch with us. :-)

Posted 6/30/2015

Christi Hart

I found Margaret through Blooma and I couldn't have picked a more perfect support person for my birth. I connected immediately with Margaret as she was very straightforward and down-to-earth. As this was my first baby in 11 years, I had many of the same concerns a first-time mother has, but I also had outdated experience as so much has changed in the past decade. I am also a single mother, which added an extra challenge in that I didn't have a birth partner or even local support system. Margaret went above and beyond to reassure me that all of my needs would be taken care of before, during, and after birth. When I was in labor, Margaret not only supported me as a birth coach, but she advocated for me to the hospital staff, and provided me with extra emotional support at every moment. Initially, I had conflict with hospital staff and my level of care, but after Margaret arrived, she handled all the issues and my care improved significantly. She made sure I received the experience I desired and handled all the unexpected issues that a partner would typically handle. The end result was a successful birth experience that I enjoyed instead of feared. Afterwards, Margaret continued to make me feel at ease by making sure all of my ongoing needs were met. She reassured me and gave me confidence to handle the transition home. I had never used a doula before, but I wish she had been present for my previous three births. In this experience, I found much more than a doula, I found a lifelong friend and an Aunty for my son.

Posted 6/28/2015

Virginia Carter

I first heard of doulas when I was researching the website of the hospital I was going to have my baby girl at. My first thought was that would be perfect for me since I knew my husband was not going to be able to be at the birth. When I called them I was told they would have a doula call me back. Then Margaret called. I am so glad it was her. She made the process much easier. Later in my pregnancy I found out my baby was breech ( I was not happy about this since I wanted a vaginal birth like I had with my son 7 years ago and not a c-section). With her help we tried everything possible to get baby to flip around. She has tons of resources and contacts that are amazing. Everyone she put me in contact with was so nice and great at what they do like she is. My daughter ended up not flipping so I had to have a c-section but Margaret was there! I did not like the whole process of c-section, but it went much smoother because she was there. She was talking to me the whole time and telling me what was going on and taking pictures for me! She knew a lot of people at the hospital which made me feel more comfortable. She also did my placenta pills and delivered them the next day. She is such a nice person and willing to go the extra mile to help you. She is really easy going and down to earth. I will for sure like to have her at my future births! Thanks Margaret!!

Posted 4/18/2015

Stephanie Magnuson

I used Margaret 's doula and placenta encapsulations services for the birth of our second son and it made a complete difference compared to my experience with my first. She gave me the confidence and resources to mentally and spirtually prepare myself for natural childbirth. I was very happy with how my water birth went and I owe a large part of that to her. She has a very non-judgemental approach and is very supportive throughout the whole process. I think one of the most valuable things I gained from her was information she provided at the pre- and post-partum appointments. Little things like how to massage your baby, pressure points that allow a woman in labor to relax, why babies often prefer one side when nursing, etc. She really is a wealth of knowledge. And they weren't even questions I had for her but rather things that came out in conversation. I really liked that I felt comfortable with her from the first moment I met her - she has a very calming personality. She was very flexible when it came to meeting time. I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone who is looking at hiring a doula!

Posted 4/8/2015

Becca Hurt

If there was ever anyone in life who had found their calling, Margaret would be it. It is no wonder why she has been in this field for as long as she has---she has forever changed my life and made what could've been one of the most frightening experiences of my life one of the most positive and memorable. Margaret's knowledge, gentle demeanor, encouragement, and compassion radiated throughout my labor and delivery and significantly helped me cope with the ever changing birth plan that my baby had in store for me :) My husband's phone call to her at 2am was happily accepted and she arrived at the hosptial very shortly thereafter. Not only did she provide acceptional advice to me for coping methods during labor and delivery but she was also extremely helpful fo rmy husband--giving him ideas to help me, keeping him informed and answering questions, and ensuring he took care of himself throughout my long labor (he has type I diabetes). Both he and I are forever grateful for Margaret and if we are so lucky to welcome another child into our lives, we certainly hope that her services will be available. I can't say enough good things about her and highly encourage anyone interested in a doula to select her.

Posted 4/6/2015

peggy huot

As a first time mom who is also a single mom I was nervous and overwhelmed about everything! Within minutes of meeting her I knew I would be well taken care of! Margaret had a gentle and nurturing way of taking care of me and my son. I never had to ask her for help, she just jumped in and helped me. She was intuative and insightful, loving and genuine. My experience with having a post pardum doula was nothing short of perfection. I was exhausted but she was there to encourage and support me during the most wonderful but most challengeing part of my life. I couldn't have made it through the first six weeks without her help, love and compassion.

Posted 4/4/2015

Amanda Rajkowski

We truly enjoyed our experience with Margaret. She was referred to us from our previous Doula and we couldn't have been happier. She traveled to our house to meet with us once before labor and was more than open to questions throughout my pregnancy. Margaret offered to come to our house in the early stages of labor, but it worked out to meet at the hospital. She beat us there and was ready to jump in and help with my contracations which were 2-3 minutes apart. She used relaxation techniques to help me through the intense contractions and kept me focused. She also informed us about placenta encapulation, which we decided to do. I am happy with my choice to encapulate and have felt that my milk supply has been up, compared to my first pregnancy. We would definitly recommend Margaret to anyone looking for a supportive and educated doula.

Posted 4/2/2015

Justin Lehman

Margaret Owens is amazing! Even though this was my third baby and I knew my way around a birth her presence and knowledge was an immeasurable blessing. My husband and I are so thankful that she was paired with our family and a part of our son’s birth.Margaret has a very calm and warming vibe about her. From the moment I first met Margaret she made me feel very relaxed and comforted. During my labor she would give reassurance, encouragement, a little bit of humor, or a comforting touch at the perfect times. This helped boost my confidence greatly!Our son’s birth was a more enjoyable one for my husband because of Margaret’s presence. It helped take pressure off my husband to put himself in situations that made him uncomfortable. My husband becomes physically ill when he sees me in pain. He was able to step back and let Margaret take the lead while still comforting me in a way that made him comfortable. With my husband being relaxed it helped make a calmer environment for me.I really liked that Margaret already knew the hospital staff where I gave birth.This also helped make a more relaxing environment for me because it was noticeable that the hospital staff enjoyed working with Margaret.Margaret is very knowledgeable! She was able to answer all my questions or send me in the right direction to get the information I needed.I really liked that she had a network of resources to pair with her knowledge.Margaret also encapsulated my placenta for me. I am so glad that I did this! I have a past history of sever postpartum depression. It’s been a month since my son was born and I am feeling good. I also have lots of energy and it has helped with my breast milk supply. On the day I gave birth she brought my placenta home with her to prepare and by the next day I had my pills.Overall this labor and birth was my favorite and the fastest recovery. Thank you again Margaret for helping make my son’s birth a special one!

Posted 4/2/2015

Stacy Danov

To begin, Margaret was with us for 37 hours of labor. I could not have done it without her. She provided me strength when I needed strength, laugher when I needed laugher and calm when I needed calm. I had a long slow labor and Margaret was with us the entire journey. I did not know what to expect with my first birth. She came to our house at the onset of labor and helped me breathe through each contraction with her calming and reassuring presence. In addition she made my husband feel relaxed and confident. Margaret has many tools in her toolbox but her best tools were her words of encouragement and gentle touch. The labor was very intense in my back, but Margaret had techniques to make the intensity diminish. My labor was so peaceful with the help from Margaret. After about 12 hours of labor at home we went to the hospital.

Margaret was our guide through the medical jungle. She created a great partnership with the hospital staff instantly and helped us figure out the best options during each phase. During the 20 some hours we were at the hospital Margaret took the extra step and bonded with our parents too. She made them feel so comfortable. Not only was she part of our care team, she became part of our family. We felt a strong bond with her and appreciate the knowledge and experience she brought. Margaret helped me with breastfeeding minutes after our baby was born. We attribute his great eating skills to her assistance with latching. Margaret made sure we were completely comfortable before she went home, 30 plus hours later.

Margaret was awesome during our birth and she has been available to us after the baby was born. She came to our house and has always been available by phone when needed. Margaret is a huge resource and we could not be more grateful. My birth experience would not have been the same without her. Margret’s passion, advocacy, humor, and kindness empowered me to have the birth experience I hoped for.

Posted 3/23/2015

Trisha Hoette

Five reasons to hire Margaret Owens for your birth:

1. Margaret has many years of experience. If I ever had questions like "what if..." or "what happens when..." or "could we..." she often had an example from her past deliveries to help the discussion. I appreciate how active she is as a doula in our community.

2. Margaret will be there from start to finish, and beyond. I am a first time mom and even after reading all the books and taking all the classes, I felt like I had no idea what to expect from labor. It gave my husband and me such piece of mind to know that Margaret would be there through the whole labor and even available for support after we went home.

3. Margaret is friendly and easy-going. I felt comfortable with her right away. She didn’t push any agendas on us for our birth preferences. She helped us identify all our options with facts and real examples, and was supportive of our decisions and ideas.

4. Margaret is awesome in a hospital birth. I was unsure how it would work to have nurses, doctors, my husband, and a doula coaching me through the birth but Margaret made everything seamless. She was very familiar with the hospital system and had even worked with my doctor before.

5. Margaret is very knowledgeable. Her extensive training was obvious, especially when it came to breastfeeding. The help the hospital offered was great, but having Margaret available over the first few weeks helped me to really establish breastfeeding and stick with it.

Posted 3/16/2015

Abigail Villarreal

we are beyond happy with how things went. My husband and I are so greatful that Margaret was able to guide us through this without her I wouldn't of been able to do all that. The way she guided us and suggested techniques and her words of encouragement made this process so much easier for us. It's so hard going into the unknown for the first time and having someone that has done this many times there makes his process a lot less scary.Thank you so much Margaret we will deffinatley want you around in the future when we are ready for more babies.(:

Posted 1/31/2015

Heidi A. Graczyk Anderson

Margaret is amazing! She is caring, funny, knowledgable and fantastic at what she does. We hired Margaret to be our birth doula and used her encapsulation services, as well. Absolutely one of the best decisions we made during my pregnancy!

From our first meeting with Margaret we felt like she was part of our family and we were so thankful to have her guide us through the birthing process. She came to our home a few times before I delivered and she shared her wealth of knowledge with us about what to expect before, during and after childbirth. She joined us at our house once I was in labor (before we went to the hospital) and stayed with us during the entire process - over 30 hours! My husband and I felt so supported, loved and nurtured by Margaret every step of the way. Her calm demeanor helped me stay focused and relaxed (as much as possible!) through contractions and gave my husband peace of mind, as well.

Margaret encapsulated my placenta within 24 hours of me giving birth and brought the capsules directly to me in the hospital so I could start taking them right away. After we went home she came to visit us two more times, providing lactation support, general advice and support to us, and lots of love to our son. Margaret continues to check in on us and our son periodically and we still think of her as family.

It was a true blessing having Margaret with us during the birth of our first son this past July & if we are fortunate enough to conceive again we'll definitely be using her again!

Posted 10/9/2014

Jennifer Beyer

Overall good experience. A few things not as prompt or didn't happen as I expected, but overall happy we hired a doula and did the placenta encapsulation.

Posted 10/15/2013

Dana Mortenson

I worked with Margaret after the birth of my first child, Agnes. Margaret is nothing short of amazing. She provided such wise counsel, support, and guidance in the first few months of my baby's life, that I am not sure how we would have managed without her. She is knowledgeable without being judgmental, and incredibly resourceful. She has such expansive knowledge of the field, and such deep personal experience, that I always felt comfortable talking to her and working with her, and learned a lot about parenting.

She spent hours talking with me, helping with the household, and guiding me through the 'firsts' with baby, that I would have otherwise fumbled through. She also has a very keen understanding of dynamics in relationships between partners and was helpful in helping my husband and I navigate new parenthood together.

I am so grateful Margaret is out there doing this work, and would recommend her without reservation to other new moms!

Posted 11/15/2012

First time Mom in Minneapolis

Margaret was like an angel who came into our family around the time our first baby girl was born. Even before the baby's birth, Margaret gave us some critical bits of advice that made labor and our transition into parenthood much smoother. Once we were home with our baby, Margaret came to help us get some sleep at night...little did we know, she would help us with SO much more than that! She was full of helpful tips, answers to our endless list of questions, and grounding re-assurance. Margaret is such a professional, and so passionate about her work and expertise. We're incredibly thankful to have her in our lives!

Posted 11/8/2012

Shannon Clark

Margaret worked with our family as a post partum doula to newborn (preemie) twins. When we were released from the hospital, Margaret was able to be there for us the same night, helping to ease us into the transition home after long days in the NICU. Her upbeat and relaxed attitude helped set the standard for infant care, as she answered the myriad of questions that arose our first night home. She is a great resource for the "is this normal" questions every new mom has, and proactive on questions we don't know to ask. She genuinely loves infants, and you can see it in her eyes and in the way babies respond to her. While she is willing and able to be the silent partner who cares for your precious babe in the night, I encourage you to spend some time chatting with her- she has experienced so many babies and situations, the insight she provides will be invaluable to even experienced mothers.

Posted 3/29/2012

Erin Harney and David Cragg

We were thrilled to welcome our first born into our lives last October. The delivery went really well and we have been blessed with a very sweet and good natured boy. Unfortunately, after about six weeks of maternity leave (eight weeks out of the world, as I spent the last two weeks of my pregnancy hidden away at home) I was feeling very tired, unsupported and really not myself. I had my six week check up with my OB / GYN and after discussing my mood and how things were going, she suggested that I consider hiring a doula to help. I contacted my birth doula and asked her if she had any referrals. She recommended Margaret Owens. We called Margaret and she came over and met with myself and my partner. Margaret immediately made me feel at ease and had a calming quality. She began coming over o our house the next week and continued to come and help me for the next six weeks, about 3 times a week. Having Margaret's help made my maternity leave into the special time that I wanted it to be. She helped me learn how to enjoy being a mom. I learned to relax and stop stressing about the dishes and the laundry - she would take care of it, and me, and my son. My job was to eat, rest and take care of my son. She helped me with keeping my milk supply up and has answers to questions that I would have spent hours on the internet researching. Instead of having to turn to books that push the author's agenda, Margaret, without judgement, offered tips and suggestions. She gave me gentle support, great comfort and strong confidence in my abilities as a mom. My son adores Margaret. He would light up when he heard her voice. And she adores my son - which made me feel comfortable leaving the house to take some much needed self care time. If I found out tomorrow that I were expecting again - Margaret would probably be one of my first calls. I'd be booking her assistance for those weeks following my due date. She is more that just a doula - Margaret became my confidant and my friend.

Posted 2/27/2012

Megan Newquist

My friends recommended Margaret when my twins were born. I'd never heard of a 4th trimester doula, but having someone who was willing to come to our house, care for our kids and family was great. We used Margaret several nights a week for several weeks so my husband and I could occasionally get 7 hours of restful sleep. As a new mom, I found Margaret to be informative, supportive and encouraging. She was always punctual, courteous and most importantly, caring with our infants.

Posted 2/24/2012

Jessica Schaeppi

Margaret has been invaluable resource as my husband and I started our lives as parents. Maragaret helped me learn to soothe my little man, air out any fears, answered hundreds of questions, helped solve a breastfeeding challenge, did laundry, and gave me many much needed breaks in my first few months as a parent. I now count Margaret as a friend who I will miss now that I don't need her as much and have figured out my own rhythm as a mother and parent. I can't reccomend any one more highly to help during the first phase of your child's life.

Posted 2/19/2012

Sara Klee

Margaret was my doula at the end of 2006, when I had my daughter Ava. I was a first time mom and extremely nervous. Margaret really helped calm my nerves with her gentle, patient and knowledgeable answers to all my questions. Having Margaret to go to with all my questions about what I was experiencing and what i was to expect was priceless. After Ava was born, Margaret helped me with everything from getting Ava to latch on with breast feeding to helping me understand what "normal" was with Ava's bowl movements, belly button falling off and all the other unusual little things that happen with a newborn. My hormones, like every new mom's, were all over the map those first several weeks. If margaret had not been there to care for Ava when I needed sleep or even just some away time, the first three months would have been so much more difficult. Becoming a parent is an incredible experience. At times amazing, beautiful and joyful. But also scary, exhausting and life changing. Margaret is an incredible person to have with you in that journey. She is truly one of the most knowledgeable, loving and patient women I know. She will treat you, your baby and your parenting choices with the utmost respect. I know having Margaret as a my doula helped me become the mom I'm supposed to be. Thank you!

Posted 12/3/2011

Alisa Blackwood

Margaret charmed my 3 year old, who I needed help with so I could spend some time with baby. I was concerned about how he would do with a stranger coming in, but she got on his level, did puzzles, gave him snacks, read him books and had him loving the extra attention. I also felt totally overwhelmed by laundry and it was a HUGE help to know that when I woke from a much-needed nap that the baskets of clean laundry would be magically folded!